Controlling mRNA stability and translation with small, noncoding RNAs
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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Enhanced Northern Blot Detection of Small RNA Species in Drosophila Melanogaster
Published on: August 21, 2014
Gisela Storz1, Jason A Opdyke, Aixia Zhang
1Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5430, USA. storz@helix.nih.gov
Abstract:
Recent studies have led to the identification of more than 50 small regulatory RNAs in Escherichia coli. Only a subset of these RNAs has been characterized. However, it is clear that many of the RNAs, such as the MicF, OxyS, DsrA, Spot42 and RyhB RNAs, act by basepairing to activate or repress translation or to destabilize mRNAs. Basepairing between these regulatory RNAs and their target mRNAs requires the Sm-like Hfq protein which most likely functions as an RNA chaperone to increase RNA unfolding or local target RNA concentration. Here we summarize the physiological roles of the basepairing RNAs, examine their prevalence in bacteria and discuss unresolved questions regarding their mechanisms of action.
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Types of RNA
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
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